Autodrome.



H. J. COHN.

AUTODROME.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26, 1912.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLAHUGRAPM COnWASHINGTON, u. c.

H. J. COHN.

AUTODROME.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1912.

1,091,484. Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Arrae/vzy COLUMBXA PLANOGRAPN COHWASHINGTON. D. c.

HENRY JACK COHN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOZDROME.

To all 1072 am it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY J. Conn, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Autodromes, of which the following is a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of auto-drome which will be portable and may be easily knocked down and readily transported from place to place; to provide an improved construction for auto-dronies whereby ingress and egress to and from the arena of the auto-drome may be had through a door in the track surface, whereby the auditorium may be located within the arena at the center thereof, and whereby the necessity for depressing the track surface below the surface of the ground may be avoided; and to provide improved features of construction permitting interchangeability of the various sections whereby the auto-drome may be quickly assembled and dismantled.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan, partly broken away, of an auto-drome of a type to which this invention applies. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of one of the knock-down buttresses showing the method of securing it to the ground. Fig. i is a sectional detail of the track surface showing the method of'mounting the door and showing the incline leading from the exterior to the interior of the arena. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of the auditorium. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on the line A-A of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary outside elevation showing the relative arrangement of the struts and transverse braces. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail of one of the sections taken on the line BB of Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is an inside face view of one of the sections into which the track surface is divided, showing also its relation to the forward upright member of the adjacent buttresses. Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the method of counter-sinking the heads of the bolts in the track surface. Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the manner of connecting the tie rods which connect and space the buttresses.

It has heretofore been the custom in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 26, 1912.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Serial No. 717,216.

construction of auto-dromes of this type to provide a pit-like arena having its track surface wholly or partially below the surface of the earth, and the auditorium constructed around the outer rim of the arena, as the only means of accommodating the spectators. This necessitated the expense of building a structure requiring excavation and so cumbersome and complicated as to preclude the possibility of its being readily moved from place to place for the purpose of exhibiting the features for which it was designed.

The present structure is designed as a portable device which is so constructed as to be easily erected and dismantled and readily moved from place to place as the occasion requires.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the device comprises an annular bowlshaped arena 1, preferably entirely above ground, and having centrally located therein the auditorium 2, which is completely encircled by the bowl-shaped track surface 3 and separated therefrom by the guard railing t. The track surface 3 is supported in position by a framework comprising a series of triangular-1y shaped knockdown braces or buttresses 5 spaced apart circumferentially about the walls of the arena, each of the buttresses comprising a triangular frame made up of members 6, 7, 8, 9, l0. and 12. The base members 8 project beyond the uprights 6 and 7 at each end and may be angle irons, each of the projecting ends having apertures or holes 11 for securing the buttress in position on the ground.

The members 12 are inclined to the members 6 and extend through the projecting forward ends of the base members 8. The buttresses 5 are held at their outer ends by means of pegs or bolts 18 which are driven into the ground through the outer holes 11 in the bottom flange of the base members 8. The inner ends of the buttresses 5 are anchored in the ground by bolts 14 having anchor plates buried at suitable depth below the surface.

The track surface 3 is bowl or cup shaped and comprises a central level portion of track surface 16 of circular form and an annular series of track sections 17 which extend radially outwardly and upwardly therefrom and at an angle thereto. The side edges of each of the sections 17 abut each other and are mounted on the buttresses 5 of the supporting framework so that the abutting edges are supported by the upper flanges 6 as shown 1n Fig. 6. The lower end edges of each of the sections 17 abut the outer edge of the central portion 16. The central portion 16 is mounted immediately adjacent to and encircles the auditorium 2.

For convenience in erecting and dismantling the structure, each of the sections 17 is divided into a plurality of panels 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22.

The panels are so disposed that when in position the panel in each adjacent section 17 bearing like numbers will be ranged around the arena in courses, the edges of each panel abutting the edges of the next adjacent panels and the upper and lower edges of each course abutting the edges of the next adjacent courses, the whole when in position forming an endless and continuous track surface substantially flush throughout its entire area. In the innermost course the panels 18 are disposed at an angle to the surface of the central portion 16 and the track surfaces of the panels 19, 20, 21, and 22 are disposed at an angle to the surfaces of the panels 18, the whole forming a cup or bowl-shaped track surface 3.

Each of the panels 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 is provided with four countersunk holes 23 disposed'one at each corner thereof and adapted to register with corresponding holes 24 in the flanges 6 of the members 6. Cup-shaped washers 25 fit into each of the holes 23 and the panels 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, are secured in place on the buttresses 5 by the bolts 26 which extend through the flanges 6 and are secured in place by nuts 27.

The panels in each of the courses are interchangeable which insures despatch in erecting and dismantling the structure. The track surface 3 comprises a plurality of thicknesses of flooring with their grains running in difierent directions. Ingress to and egress from the arena are provided both for the spectators and for vehicles used in the exhibits by means of a door 28 which is suitably mounted on the track surface in a manner to insure a substantially flush surface between its inner side and the track surface 3 when in closed position. The door 28 fits into a countersunk doorway 29 and when in closed position is securely locked in place.

30 is an incline which leads to the doorway 29 and 31 is a gate which may be hinged or otherwise removably mounted in the railing 4 to provide means of access to and from the auditorium.

The auditorium 2 comprises an annular raised platform 32 which provides standing or sitting room for the spectators and is surrounded by annular tiers of seats 33.

The structure when erected is further braced against displacement and rigidly bound around with circumferentially arranged upper and lower rows of tie rods 34. These tie rods for convenience of construction are of a length equal to one or more panel widths and are connected to the members 6, by merely passing them through holes in the webs of said members and providing heads or nuts at their ends. The tie rods 3-1 in the upper row are mounted adjacent the rim of the structure and have shoulders or nuts 36 at each end to insure uniform spacing of the buttresses 5.

Diagonal guy wires of cables 39 and 40 extend from the top to the bottom of the rear members 7.

The device is designed for the purpose of exhibiting spectacular feats in automobile driving, for the amusement of spectators. The automobiles are driven around the track surface 3, in ever widening circles at great speed until the climax when the machines travel about the area on the upper course of panels 22. In this position the track is almost at right angles to the surface of the central portion 16 and the automobile is held in place by the action of centrifugal force.

An inwardly projecting stringer or guide rail 42 extends around the upper edge or rim of the auto-drome and prevents the possibility of accident in case a driver should approach too close to the edge of the track.

parent by an inspection of the drawings.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim 1. A bowl-shaped auto-drome having an endless track surface, an auditorium located therein, and a door mounted in and forming a part of said track surface and providing ingress and egress for spectators to and from said auditorium.

2. A portable auto-drome comprising an auditorium, an endless bowl-shaped track surface arranged circumferentially about said auditorium, and a supporting frame- The operation of the device will be apwork for said track surface, said track sursurface arranged circumferentially about said auditorium, and a supporting frame- Work for said track surface, said track surface comprising a plurality of sections interchangeably mounted on said framework and each comprising a plurality of removably mounted panels.

i. A portable auto-drome comprising an auditorium, an endless bowl shaped track surface arranged circumferentially about said auditorium, a supporting framework for said track surface, said track surface comprising a plurality of sections removably mounted on said framework, and bolts for securing said sections to said framework, said bolts being countersunk in said sections to provide a track surface substantially flush throughout its entire area.

5. A. portable auto-drome comprising an auditorium, an endless sectional track surface arranged circumferentially about said auditorium, a door mounted in said track surface and providing ingress and egress to and from said auditorium, and a supporting framework for said track surface said supporting frame work comprising a plurality of interchangeable buttresses spaced apart circumferentially around said track surface, 25 readily detachable means rigidly connecting said buttresses in series about said track surface, and means for rigidly securing each of said buttresses to the ground.

6. A portable auto-drome comprising an auditorium, an endless sectional track surface arranged circumferentially about said auditorium, a door mounted in said track surface and providing ingress and egress to and from said auditorium, a sup-porting 35 framework for said track surface, said supporting framework comprising a series of knockdown buttresses spaced apart circumferentially about said track surface, tie rods connecting each of said buttresses with the next adjacent buttress, and means for securing each of said buttresses to the ground.

Signed at Chicago this 21st day of August, 1912.

HENRY JACK COHN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. COLE, EUGENE A. RUMMLER.

Copteao! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

